L.L.Bean and National Park Foundation – Getting Kids Outdoors

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To help celebrate our 100th anniversary in 2012, L.L.Bean kicked off the Million Moment Mission, an effort to collect one million "moments" shared by our customers through social media. For every moment shared, we gave a dollar to the National Park Foundation, for a total donation of $1 million. This helped thousands of kids experience outdoor adventure for the first time. Thanks to all of you who contributed by sharing your love of the outdoors. Together, we've been able to expose young people to our national parks and inspire a new generation to share our passion for the outdoors.

Here are just a few of the hundreds of programs and adventures helped by grants from the National Park Foundation’s America’s Best Idea (ABI) program:

The Native American Conservation Corps at Canyon de Chelly National Monument was able to hire an all Native American crew for the first time, giving local youths valuable job experience and a connection to the outdoors.

Women on the Water Leaders of Tomorrow: a program developed for high school girls from cities and towns neighboring the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The girls became environmental stewards of the Gap as they learned important kayaking, canoeing and rafting skills.

Archaeology in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Cherokee youths and kids from the local high school engaged in a two-week dig with professional archaeologists.

Voyageurs National Park Teen Ambassadors Program: brought kids from rural areas of Minnesota on outdoor adventures with the goal of making lifelong connections to the natural environment.

Fifth graders from Rainbow Dreams Academy in Las Vegas camped in Zion National Park for three days. This was the first exposure to both Zion and camping for most students.